Chance Quote by Marguerite Yourcenar
“The landscape of my days appears to be composed, like mountainous regions, of varied materials heaped up pell-mell. There I see my nature, itself composite, made up of equal parts of instinct and training. Here and there protrude the granite peaks of the inevitable, but all about is rubble from the landslips of chance.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Memoirs of Hadrian, 1951
Life is a mix of innate instincts and learned training, with inevitable challenges and random events shaping us.
In simple terms: Nature and nurture combine, with challenges and chance.
Key Takeaway
Balance instinct with training, accept chance.
Themes
identity
growth
uncertainty
Mood
reflective
philosophical
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal development
- education
- career planning
- adversity coping
Key Concepts
Nature vs nurture
determinism
randomness
Questions to Reflect On
- What parts of yourself are instinctual?
- How do you train yourself?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on chance can undermine agency.
